BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                             


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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   SB 568|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses   |                         |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524          |                         |
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                       THIRD READING
                              

Bill No:  SB 568
Author:   Alarcon (D), et al
Amended:  5/28/99
Vote:     27 - Urgency

  
  SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERV. COMMITTEE  :  6-2, 4/14/99
AYES:  Escutia, Figueroa, Hughes, Polanco, Solis,  
  Vasconcellos
NOES:  Haynes, Mountjoy
NOT VOTING:  Morrow

  SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  9-4, 5/27/99
AYES:  Johnston, Alpert, Bowen, Burton, Escutia, Karnette,  
  McPherson, Perata, Vasconcellos
NOES:  Johnson, Kelley, Leslie, Mountjoy
 

  SUBJECT  :    Foundations for Learning Master Plan for  
Infants and 
            Children to Age 6

  SOURCE  :     Child Development Policy Institute

 
  DIGEST  :    This bill establishes the Foundation for  
Learning initiative requiring the Superintendent of Public  
Instruction to develop a strategic plan for infants and  
children to age 6, as prescribed, and review projects, make  
recommendations, and coordinate early childhood education.

 ANALYSIS  :    Current law:

1.Provides for a public and private child care and  
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  development service delivery system, known as the Child  
  Care and Development Services Act.

2.Establishes the California Children and Families First  
  Act of 1998, a program to promote, support, and improve  
  early development for children from the prenatal stage to  
  5 years of age.

This bill:

1. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to:

   A.    Develop a strategic plan to provide for the study,  
      encouragement, and establishment of foundations for  
      learning and school success for infants and children  
      to 6 years of age;

   B.    Expend no more than $150,000 on the development of  
      the strategic plan.

   C.    Review, on or before July 1, 2000, various child  
      care and development programs and make  
      recommendations to the Legislature regarding these  
      programs, and 


   D.    Work with California Children and Families First  
      Commission to ensure that programs administered by  
      each entity that are developmental and preparatory  
      to, or targeted toward, success in elementary  
      education are integrated and are not duplicative.

2. Renumbers the sections on early primary programs and  
   kindergarten in the Education Code to Part 6, Chapter 1,  
   Foundations for Learning.

According to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee  
   analysis:

Numerous research supports that early childhood  
experiences, particularly from birth to kindergarten,  
significantly influence cognitive, behavioral, educational,  
and economic outcomes later in life.  Five early childhood  
strategies have emerged to influence early childhood  







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experiences.  They are (1) nutrition and primary health  
care, (2) preschool, (3) child development, (4) traditional  
day care programs, and (5) home visiting.

  Related Legislation

  There are several bills that propose master plans for  
either early childhood development and child care or  
preschool.  They include SB 845 (Escutia) Child Care and  
Development Master Plan; SB 925 (Vasconcellos) Child Care  
and Development Master Plan; and SB 277 (Ortiz) Universal  
Preschool Master Plan. 
  
  FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
Local:  No


Prohibits the Superintendent of Public Instruction from  
expending more than $150,000 on the development of the  
strategic plan.

  SUPPORT  :   (Verified  5/28/99)

Child Development Policy Institute (source)
California Association of the Education of Young Children
Child Care Law Center
Child Development Centers
Community Family Services
Gardner Children's Center
National Economic Development & Law Center
National Organization for Women (committee analysis)
Reading Specialists of California
Office of Kern County Superintendent of Schools (committee  
analysis)


CP:cm  5/29/99   Senate Floor Analyses 

               SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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